Amon Carter Museum
Christmas is finally over and it’s a brand new year, so I’ve been online searching for events, looking for something interesting to fill my weekends and tell you about. I found four very interesting exhibits, all at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.
If you’re not familiar with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, it’s fantastic! Even if you’re not into the museum experience and it is quite spacious and has a terrific view of downtown Fort Worth. The museum has original Mr. Carter’s western art collection, such as Remington bronzes and paintings along with his daughter’s collection of modern art works.
Ruth Carter Stevenson is Amon Carter’s daughter and after his death she was responsible for organizing the museum according to Mr. Carters’ wishes. He requested that much of his considerable wealth be used to build a museum to house the works he already owned and to purchase and display additional art as a public service for the citizens of Fort Worth, a city he dearly loved. Mr. Carter’s desire was that his museum be free, and it including special exhibits.
Today you can see the following exhibits:
Texas Folk Art runs through September 19 and is exactly what it says – Folk Art. Paintings and sculptures by itinerant artists from Texas that have very basic lines but lots of visuals showing what life was like day to day in the artists perspective. I found these pictures to be amateurish and simple. It made me wonder what it would be like to live in that time, was it really that dull and monotonous?
Another exhibit was Tales from the American West: The Rees-Jones Collection, which will be in town until February 21. Trevor Rees-Jones, the collector, became interested in western art, when he visited the Amon Carter as a young boy. His collection spans from the eighteenth century through the 1920s. Sculptures, watercolors, and much more are on display. The exhibit mainly portrays the American way of life of in the West, displaying everything from Indians to landscapes, they spoke to the Cowgirl in me. Riding horses, herding cattle and fighting off outlaws and bad guys. Well, maybe I’ve watched a few too many western movies.
Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum, which is a kind of art that came after the War of Independence, all of the artists are self-taught. According toselftaughtgenius.org, as the field matured under the umbrella of “folk art” it also expanded to include a wider variety of artists. For the last twenty years, the term “self-taught” is more about addressing the artistic inspiration from unsuspected paths and unconventional spaces. As you can see, the range of Self-Taught Artwork ranges from letters, books, quilts, to even buildings made out of airplane parts, wood, metal, glass, etc. It was quite an amazing display including a variety for forms including textile, furniture, drawings, ceramics, etc., dating from the eighteenth century to the present.
My favorite though was That Day: Laura Wilson which lasts until February 14.
Perhaps it’s my favorite because I’m a movie buff and Laura Wilson lives in Dallas and is the mother three actors – Andrew, Owen, and Luke Wilson.
Her exhibit of seventy-two black and white photographs are both startling and mesmerizing. Kind of like watching a car crash – you don’t want to look, but you have to. It’s an interesting collection of beauty and violence. Each one was different than the last, and each single frame told a story that lead to the next.
So, wow, I picked the right day to go the Amon Carter, 4 exhibits and an entire day to enjoy them.
The Amon Carter Museum, located at 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth 76107 in the Cultural District of Fort Worth. The Amon Catrer Museum of American Art is free, as per Amon Carter wanted: non-profit. They have several exhibits that occur so it’s great to stop by any day of the week and just take a break from the world and enjoy the beauty in art.
Texas Air Doctors’ Social Media Director
Want to know what’s going on in your town or have suggestions for me?
